South Adelaide’s Caleb Daniel stars as SA triumphs in national under-18 championships

SOUTH Adelaide pocket rocket Caleb Daniel has almost certainly played his way on to an AFL list after leading SA to back-to-back national under-18 championships in Geelong.

Daniel, who at 167cm was the smallest Division One player at the championships, produced his second consecutive best-afield performance, scoring an incredible 217 Champion Data rankings points.

The midfielder/small forward’s 21 disposals at 86 per cent efficiency in the title-defining, nine-point win against Vic Metro included three goals, eight score involvements, four inside 50s and five tackles and followed his standout display against Vic Country last week.

Victorious SA coach Brenton Phillips said recruiting scouts who had put a line through Daniel prior to the championships would now be looking for the white-out after the 17-year-old defied his lack of height to spearhead the Croweaters’ charge to consecutive titles for the first time.

“They said that Vic Country and Vic Metro were the two teams to beat and he took both of them to task,’’ Phillips said.

“He really stood up as a footballer in our last two games and will probably have a few recruiters suddenly scratching their heads and rethinking their plans.

“How could you not take him after his performances?’’

SA finished the six-week, round-robin championships with a 5-1 record, followed by the two Victorian teams on three wins and WA on one.

Phillips described the victory which followed last year’s drought-breaking title as “a real feather in the cap for SA football’’.